Dr. Hook : “Cover Of The Rolling Stone”

This was written by Shel Silverstein, a best-selling author of children’s poems who was also a contributor to Playboy magazine and writer of many Country hits, including A Boy Named Sue. His books include Where The Sidewalk Ends,Giraffe and The Giving Tree. Silverstein also wrote Dr. Hook’s first hit, “Sylvia’s Mother.”

This is a parody of the rock and roll lifestyle. It pokes fun at all the things that rock stars indulge in when they’re successful: groupies, shady characters hanging around, limo rides, etc.  The group made the cover of Rolling Stone magazine on March 29, 1973, 3 months after this song was released. The text next to their picture read: “What’s Their Names Make The Cover.” The song was great publicity for Rolling Stone magazine, which was only five years old.

(source songfacts.com)

Well, we’re big rock singers

We got golden fingers

And we’re loved everywhere we go (that sounds like us)

We sing about beauty and we sing about truth

At ten-thousand dollars a show (right)

We take all kinds of pills that give us all kind of thrills

But the thrill we’ve never known

Is the thrill that’ll gitcha when you get your picture

On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone

 

(Rollin stone) want to see my picture on the cover

(Stone)Wanna buy five copies for my mother (yes)

(Stone)Wanna see my smilin’ face

On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone (that’s a very very good idea)

 

I got a freaky ole lady name a cocaine Katy

Who embroideries on my jeans

I got my poor ole grey haired daddy

Drivin’ my limousine

Now it’s all designed to blow our minds

But our minds won’t really be blown

Like the blow that’ll gitcha when you get your picture

On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone

Rollin Stone) want to see our pictures on the cover

(Stone) want to buy five copies for our mothers (yeah)

(Stone) want to see my smilin’ face

On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone

(talking) Hey, I know how

Rock and roll

 

Ah, that’s beautiful

We got a lot of little teenage blue eyed groupies

Who do anything we say

We got a genuine Indian Guru

Who’s teaching us a better way

We got all the friends that money can buy

So we never have to be alone

And we keep getting richer but we can’t get our picture

On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone

 

(Rollin stone)Gonna see my picture on the cover

(Stone) Gonna buy five copies for my mother (wa wa)

(Stone) Gonna see my smilin’ face

On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone

On the cover of the Rollin’

Stone) Gonna see my picture on the cover

(talking) I don’t know why we ain’t on the cover, baby

(Stone) Gonna buy five copies for my mother

(talking) We’re beautiful subjects

(Stone) Want to see my smilin’ face

(talking) I ain’t kiddin’, we would make a beautiful cover

On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone

(talking) Fresh shot, right up front, man

I can see it now, we’ll be up in the front

Smilin, man

Ah, beautiful.